10th Anniversary of the Association of Local Democracy Agencies (ALDA)

Brussels (Belgium), 27 May 2009

Speech by Ian Micallef, President a.i. of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe

Dear President,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I am pleased to be with you today to celebrate the 10th anniversary of ALDA.

As many of you know, the Local Democracy Agencies (LDAs) were born out of the horror of the Balkan wars, out of the need to restore trust and rebuild confidence between war-torn communities.

When it launched this initiative back in 1993, the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe was driven by its strong belief that consolidating local self-government and carrying out concrete projects at community level – projects involving communities themselves –  was the best way to achieve this goal.

History has proved us right.

To this day, we remain firmly convinced that local democracy is the strongest binding fabric which holds together the multiethnic quilt of South-East Europe.

In 1993, the Standing Conference of Local and Regional Authorities – predecessor of the Congress – opened the first Local Democracy Embassy (as they were known then) in Subotica and another eight opened between 1993 and 1999. Their aim was to support local democracy in a broad sense through partnership between towns and regions in at least three Council of Europe member States on the one hand and a host town faced with particular tension on the other.

I am proud to have been part of the Committee set up by the Congress at the time to launch initial operations by Local Democracy Agencies, led by Mr Gianfranco Martini, who later became the first President of ALDA. I wish to pay tribute to Mr Martini, former ALDA President and also a very active former member of the Congress for a long period of time, who unfortunately was unable to attend today. His vision and his efforts laid the groundwork for the success of the LDAs and their Association, and I congratulate Mr Martini on his hard work and foresight, his commitment and his personal contribution to advancing the cause of local democracy.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The programme was originally intended to promote trust-based realtions between communities and civil society and, at a subsequent stage, to further the development of local democracy, using partnerships that European towns and regions may have formed on the basis of the needs and requests listed by the parties on the ground, particularly local elected representatives. These were representatives of towns that had been faced with the ravages of war but had nevertheless tried to preserve the multiethnic character of their communities.

These LDAs grew into a genuine network seeking to promote, at a local level, democratic pluralism, human rights, democratic practices, the development of local democracy and above all, tolerance, trust, cooperation and peaceful coexistence on the part of the various communities and sections of civil society in the locality concerned.

In 1999, the Association of Local Democracy Agencies was founded to co-ordinate this growing network of LDAs.

The Association plays a crucial role of providing the LDAs with technical and administrative support and representing its members in important negotiations with institutions and funding agencies at national and international level. It makes sure that the Agencies speak with a single voice and have therefore a much more tangible political impact.  While maintaining their autonomy, ALDA represents for LDAs an instrument for implementing shared decision-making on the principles of operations,  and provides the vision for the whole programme. Undoubtedly, the Association has become a key player in the advancement of democracy and stability in South-East Europe.

I wish to congratulate the current President Mr Per Vinther on his unstinting commitment to the Association and the improvement of local democracy and self-governance in the South East of Europe.

My congratulations go also to the Director, Mrs Antonella Valmorbida and her staff for their unflagging energy and dynamic approach to running the Association.

I wish to congratulate each individual LDA, since your creation you have been a permanent reference for the Congress on local democracy in the South East of Europe. You actively defend the values of the Council of Europe in the field, often under difficult circumstances. You should be proud of what you have achieved so far, and I am confident that you are looking forward to the challenges of what still remains to be done.

Last but not least, I wish to congratulate all those involved on a daily basis in the running and managing of the LDAs: the Delegates on the ground; the local authorities in the host towns; the local and regional elected representatives throughout Europe who believe that this partnership activity is beneficial for all the communities involved; the men and women in the local and regional partner towns who do such outstanding work; and the very many non-governmental organisations with whom the LDAs have established exemplary partnerships. All of these players have helped to give very concrete meaning to the Council of Europe’s values, whilst disseminating the principles advocated by the Congress throughout South-East Europe and now in Georgia since the setting up of an LDA in Kutaisi.

As you know the Congress monitors closely the evolution of local democracy and self- governance in the Balkans and South Caucasus through regular country reports, recommendations and resolutions, as well as through the observation of elections and, more recently, fact-finding missions.

Only last year, the Congress adopted a resolution on the important role of the LDAs for democracy and local governance in the South East of Europe, and I would like to reiterate one of the resolution’s conclusions:  we urge you to ensure a greater synergy and interaction with the work of the Congress and its Committees.

The Congress itself wishes a closer partnership between its members and ALDA. Last week, I sent a letter to all members of the Congress to encourage them to become active partners of LDAs. This close relationship is what gives us our strength.

In the ten years since the Association’s creation, its work has proved both useful and necessary, and it remains today as vital as it was a decade ago. I wish the Association and its Agencies every success for the years to come.